Uncensored Passion (Men of Passion) (14 page)

Over and over in his mind he questioned it.

Why hadn’t he gone out there? Sure, Dorri spoke Arabic—her adopted parents wanted her to study it since it was her native language—but, according to what he had discovered in his investigation, Trey Cameron also spoke Arabic. Maybe not as fluently as Dorri, but enough to get by—if he hadn’t been a coward.

And that word became etched in his mind—
coward!

Later, standing beside Dorri’s gravesite while she was buried with full military honors, Gavin held his sister when she fainted as the casket was lowered into the ground. At that moment he made a silent vow.

The man responsible for keeping his niece safe, a child he had come to love almost like she were his own, would pay someday.

Gavin vowed,
I will destroy Trey Cameron slowly.

First he determined that he would concentrate on destroying his reputation and eventually bring him down financially.

No matter how long it takes. I will do that.

CHAPTER 15

Present-day Nashville—Saturday, 1:10 p.m.

Trey was pacing the room, waiting for Kayla’s call, doubting she really would come, when the phone rang. He released a pent-up breath of relief as he answered, “Hello.”

“Mr. Walker? Kayla Saradon here. I am in the lobby.”

“Thought you were going to call me Devon.”

She hesitated briefly before correcting, “Right. Devon.”

“I’ll be right down.”

Trey saw her the minute he stepped off the elevator. His gaze ran right to hers and locked on like it was radar controlled. The smile she flashed him made him think she was as anxious to see him again as he was to see her.

Or maybe that’s just my hopeful imagination I’m reading into her expression,
Trey thought as he reappraised her. She looked absolutely stunning in a casual sundress that matched her hair, which today was loose, down around her shoulders. She wore strappy sandals with high heels that made her long legs seem even longer—sexier. He noticed her toenails were painted a flirtatious coral. He groaned inwardly.
Lord, what the lady can do to a sundress is unbelievable!

Trey couldn’t help just feasting his eyes, taking in her shapely curves and her mass of strawberry blonde hair that settled on those perfect shoulders like spun gold.

He took her hand, which she held out as she rose to meet him. As before when they had touched, he felt that electric spark when she laid her hand in his.

“So good to see you again, Kayla,” he said. “May I say you look lovely?”

“Thank you. Nice to see you again too, Devon.”

“Shall we go into the dining area? Are you hungry?”

“I could eat,” she said with another one of those smiles that, to Trey, seemed to light up the room.

“Good. Their food, so they have informed me, is excellent. But if you would prefer some other place, we could go elsewhere. I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with Nashville, so I’ll trust your judgment.”

“Here will be fine. I’ve eaten here before, and their food really is good.”

Taking her arm, enraptured by her light but enticing flowery scent, he breathed in deeply and felt the jolt of it in his abdomen. He escorted her into the dining room where they were seated promptly.

He was wondering what she was thinking as Kayla stared at him intensely across the table, those magnificent green eyes going over his features. He felt like they were doing more than just looking. They seemed to be devouring his face. He would have given a month’s salary to know if her thoughts at that moment were running anywhere parallel with his, which were hot and needy.

When he realized he was staring at her just as ravenously and would have started the conversation, their waiter interrupted. The awkward moment passed. They both ordered the special of the day, prime rib with steamed veggies.

“And what may I bring you as a beverage? Would you like a cocktail?”

“I’ll have iced, sweet tea,” Kayla said.

“Same for me,” Trey echoed without even remembering that tea wasn’t his favorite beverage by any means. He really would have preferred a scotch, he felt like he suddenly needed one. But as he watched the waiter walk away, he said, “I’ve heard the south’s sweet tea is special.”

“And where are you from, Devon? I can tell by your accent that you aren’t from the south.”

He laughed. “Speaking of accents. Yours is melodious. I love the way southerners talk. To answer your question, I’m originally from New York, but I’ve lived in San Antonio, Texas, for the last five years. I moved there after leaving the Army. I believe you said you are from Nashville, right?”

“Right. “

“I’m sure you’ve traveled extensively, so has no other place caught your fancy?”

“No. I like Nashville. But I must confess that I liked it even better before it kind of outgrew itself.”

“Outgrew itself?”

“Yes, the population exploded when country music more or less captured nationwide attention and took off, so to speak. Now we have a lot of celebrities who’ve moved here and some have married country music stars, so Nashville has become—well—I guess I equate it in some way to your New York. No offense, but Nashville is kind of like a little New York now. Congested. Traffic is becoming a nightmare, and more crime.”

“Ouch. Not so appealing.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to insult your birthplace.”

“You didn’t. The truth sometimes stings.”

“And yes, I’ve enjoyed visiting other places, but even given all the growing pains, this is the only place I want to live. But I must say that I liked San Antonio. And if I were ever to relocate, it might be to there. It’s quite a quaint and beautiful city.”

“Yes, it is.”

“So why did you decide to live there rather than returning to New York?”

Knowing he couldn’t admit to having been recruited by a private investigative firm, Trey said, “Maybe for all those reasons you just listed about New York, I didn’t care to return. I needed a change of pace. San Antonio is more laid back. After I got back from the Middle East, I needed that kind of atmosphere.”

“It must have been bad over there. What branch of service were you in?”

“The Army and yes, it was bad and still is.”

Kayla saw his frown of agitation and realized she had opened old wounds. As his expression darkened with the memories, it reinforced what she had thought about him, that he was a man who had seen more than his share of brutal reality.

Their glasses of iced tea were brought, and each sipped while they continued to quietly analyze each other. “This really is good,” Trey said as he put the glass down. “The south’s tea reputation is warranted.”

Kayla laughed lightly.

Trey really liked her laugh. In fact, he liked everything about her.

“I take it you’re not ordinarily a tea drinker, am I right?”

“Right. But I’m always up for new experiences.”

Kayla acknowledged that remark with a raised eyebrow. The way her eyes suddenly seemed to bore into his made Trey wonder, c
ould it possibly be she’s feeling the same kind of pull toward me as I am toward her?

“You know, this seems to be turning into your interviewing me rather than my interviewing you,” Trey murmured to break the sudden awkward silence.

“Sorry. Guess it’s my psychiatric bent coming out.”

“Tell me about yourself, Kayla.”

She shrugged. “There’s nothing more to tell, other than what we discussed the last time we were together.”

“A woman of mystery.”

“Not really. I just prefer my privacy. Much the same as you do, I suspect.”

“You’re right, except that my life is so boring no one would care to hear about it. You, on the other hand, are a different story. You are a renowned psychiatrist with an excellent record of helping others readjust their lives. You write compelling articles. You’re glamorous and yet not self-centered. You, my lady, are an enigma who, even though you don’t wish it, just naturally piques others’ curiosity.”

“I hardly deserve that accolade. I just do what I’ve been trained to do and hope for the best.”

“So. How did you decide to become a psychiatrist?”

“I was always interested in why people did whatever they did. Or more importantly, didn’t do what they really wanted to do,” she said with another raised-eyebrow emphasis.

“In other words, I wanted to know what made people make the choices they do. Or to put it in a common vernacular, what made them tick. I suppose, if truth be told, I have to confess to being a closeted mental voyeur. I always wondered if they, people in general, I mean, were motivated by societal restrictions or an inbred morality code or what? And I found the discovery process fascinating. Ascertaining the details of any given situation and then, afterward, dissecting those details to determine what precipitated the conclusive result of any particular action just naturally developed into my life’s mission.

“You see, in my opinion, the life choices we all make are subject to a domino effect. Not to sound fatuous, but I believe that we are, in one way or another, all connected.”

“That’s an intriguing concept. You mean universally? As by God? No wonder you’re such a good psychiatrist. It’s obvious you have a very analytical mind. But tell me, do you ever tire of probing for some deep-seated answer, which in turn, leads to yet another question and thus perpetuates the process? To me, that endless cycle would become frustrating.”

Kayla laughed. “I must admit that I do sometimes find it frustrating. Yet I keep at it. So what does that say about me?”

“It says you’re good at what you do.”

“I try.”

Their food came and they ate in silence for a bit before Trey asked, “Does everything have to conclude to your satisfaction, Kayla? I mean, in theory.”

“I’m not sure I follow your meaning. Sounds as though you’re implying I consider myself the center of the universe and all things revolve around me.”

Trey, detecting a note of suppressed anger in her tone, shook his head. “No, I didn’t mean to imply that at all. Please don’t take offense. Again, it’s my clumsy way of interviewing that sometimes comes out all wrong. I have to say that, given your obvious superior intellect, I feel intimidated.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I don't mean to sound intimidating and I certainly don’t believe I possess a superior intellect.”

Trey flashed her a smile. “You really are an enigma. Brilliance wrapped in humility.”

“Am I going to come off as good or bad in this article you’re writing? I don’t want people to think I’m egotistical or pompous and certainly I wouldn’t want anyone to believe I consider myself intellectually superior.”

Trey noted her sincere concern. He was quick to reassure her as he squashed his guilt about the lie he was perpetrating. “I would never write anything unflattering about you, Kayla. Frankly, I’m impressed by everything I see and hear. Not only are you beautiful, you’re also brilliant and intuitive, and I can tell you’re genuinely interested in helping others. That’s such a rare combination of traits, it’s hard to believe one woman could possess them all, but I think you do.”

As she stared at him, Trey was thinking,
she’ll hate me when she discovers I’ve deceived her. God, I don't want her to hate me.

“Why, thank you, Devon. That’s very nice to hear. I do care about others, especially those battling ghosts from the past. So many people are messed up by their early lives, by things that happened to them as children. I love helping those people, in particular, out of their own mental quagmire. The saddest thing about abused children is that when they mature and become responsible for making their own decisions, they’re thrown into a world where the judgment of others becomes their vocal point. Many of them can’t deal with the guilt that’s been heaped upon them through their formative years. Their lives become a puzzle within a puzzle, so to speak. And I love to unravel those tangles.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of people should never have children because they damage them so severely, scarring their psyches for life in some cases.”

Trey nodded mutely, suddenly slammed with memories of his own childhood when he had been abused, neglected, and sometimes had wanted to die just to escape it all.

He had no idea his pain was so evident until Kayla reached across to lay a comforting hand over his.

“If you’d like to talk about it, Devon, I would be more than happy to listen.”

Mentally shaking himself back to the present, Trey asked, “Talk about what?”

“About your childhood. It wasn’t good, was it?”

How the hell did she know what I was thinking?
“No, it wasn’t. But I don’t want to talk about it,” he admitted as he forced a smile. “I’m here to interview you, remember? Besides, I doubt that I could afford your services,” he quipped to lighten the mood. “I’m sure they’re exorbitant.”

“No charge to my friends,” she said with a smile.

Suddenly Trey felt like a colossal heel. Here he was trying to rake up dirt on Kayla Saradon when she was obviously a good person.

She’s a hell of a lot better than the one wanting to drag her through the mud. Looks like Johnson will win this time. I’ll blow this job and I’ll get fired. But before I do, I’m damned sure going to find out what he has against me.

They had finished the meal. Kayla declined dessert, so Trey ordered coffees, reluctant for their time together to end and sure it would when they left the restaurant.

They had settled into a silence that Trey was unsure how to break. He was thankful when Kayla took the initiative.

“Why don’t we continue the interview in your room, Devon? We could talk more privately there.”

He was both surprised and pleased as he met those extraordinary green eyes.

“That would be perfect. I would have suggested that, but I didn’t know what you would think. I wouldn’t want to compromise your—ah—reputation.”

Kayla laughed. “I don’t care what people say, Devon. I deal in truths, not innuendoes or rumors, and I have no patience with those who cater to that kind of subtle slander.”